Wedding Cake
by CrayonClown
Summary: T version of a pair of one-shots from my "Side Dishes" collection that I felt could stand on its own. J&A renew their vows; Bones again questions Booth about change & happiness, leading to a surprise for everyone. Then, B&B celebrate w/their cake.
1. Wedding Cake 1

**This is a "T" version of a one-shot from my "Smutty Side Dishes" collection that I felt could stand on its own sans smut. **

**Summary: Jack and Angela are renewing their vows and Bones once again questions Booth about change and happiness, leading to a surprise for everyone.**

* * *

><p>Wedding Cake<p>

After baby Michael was born, Angela and Jack had decided that they wanted to do a real wedding so all of their friends could attend the renewal of their vows.

The decision was made as they sat in the hospital room while Angela nursed her newborn. She mused that she felt bad that their jailhouse marriage had excluded all of their wonderful friends. She was happy to have all of their support for the birth of their son, and she told Jack that as happy as she was that they got married, she said the one thing she would change was that she wanted those supportive friends to have witnessed that day.

As they were cutting the cake at their reception, Booth and Brennan sat back at their table, discretely holding hands under the table as they watched the happy couple. Brennan was a little over three months pregnant now, but they had not yet told anyone of their relationship or the baby. Timing just hadn't been right.

After Brennan had first told Booth, they didn't want to take away from the fact that Jack and Angela just had a baby by telling their news right away after Michael was born. Plus there was always the chance of miscarriage in the first trimester. And now that period was coming to an end soon and Brennan would start showing soon as well. Once again, they found themselves in a position where they didn't want to steal their friends "thunder" by dropping this news on everyone.

They both laughed as cake and icing was smeared on their friends' faces.

"While I still don't see much point for this ceremony, they look really happy."

"They are. They just renewed their vows for each other. They just showed all of their friends their commitment to each other. This is a very happy day for them."

"Are we happy?" Brennan bit her lip.

Booth answered immediately. "Very."

"Do you…" She trailed off, trying to find the words.

"Do you want to dance with me?" She chickened out.

Booth looked around to all of the people getting up to get their share of cake and looked to the empty dance floor. The music had started back up after Jack and Angela had sat down at the round table across from Booth and Brennan.

"Sure, Bones."

He stood and let her hook her arm through his to guide her to the dance floor. He knew this dance would probably out them as a couple. They had decided not to hide it anymore, but they also didn't feel like an announcement was necessary. They would be making a different announcement soon enough. Booth just hoped that people wouldn't make a big deal out of the change between them, because really the only thing different was the physical relationship and the baby on the way. And those things were theirs.

They were still themselves. They still bantered, bickered, solved crimes, spent about the same amount of time together. Okay, so that last one changed a little, too. They had legitimate sleepovers now. No more "let's do paperwork in the middle of the night over takeout" bullshit excuses to spend more time together. So they spent nearly all of their time together, with the exception of the time they spent at their respective offices.

So regardless of stealing the limelight with their new relationship, which would happen soon no matter what anyway, and regardless of the whispers and stares he knew would happen, Booth danced closely with his girl at their best friends' wedding.

He wrapped his arms around her and she took full advantage of his warm embrace pulling her close. Neither left room for the Holy Spirit as they danced to the soft melodies and harmonies of the jazz being played in the background.

"So are you going to ask me what you really wanted to ask, or did you really want to dance while everyone else got cake?" He whispered into her ear.

The question affected her rhythm as they swayed to the music, but she didn't pull back. She took a deep breath and Booth took at as a good sign to just be patient as she came up with words to vocalize her question.

"Do you think they are happier married than they were just being a couple?"

"I don't have any experience in that area, Bones."

Brennan pulled her head back from his chest to look sympathetically at him. A few strands of her hair caught the stubble of his chin, and he helped smooth it back down for her.

He smiled a smile that showed her he knew that she was thinking of his past marriage proposals and there was a silent agreement to leave those out of this conversation as much as possible. As far as he knew, this wasn't about them. This was about Jack and Angela.

"But, Bones, Angela and Hodgins are different. They went from getting married to trying to get Angela a divorce to trying to work past some stuff, they broke up, Angela was with a… with a, you know, a woman for a while, she slept with Hodgins to break her celibacy, and then went out with Wendell, had a pregnancy scare, and went from amicable tolerance of Hodgins to marrying him in jail. And now they have a kid and just renewed their vows. If you're trying to compare their lives and draw parallels, that isn't going to happen here."

"I guess not."

"If you have something you want to ask, I would like it if you would just be yourself and ask me directly what you want to ask."

"Okay." She chewed her bottom lip, and he took his finger and gently removed her lip from between her teeth. She smiled a shy smile, "Do you think we would be happier if we were married?"

"Bones, are you happy?"

"You can't answer my question with a…" She looked into his serious warm brown eyes. "Yes, I'm very happy."

"Do you think that a piece of paper that legally declares us together in the eyes of the law, and in my case, God… Do you think that would change how you feel about me? About our baby? About us?"

"Honestly, no."

"Honestly, me either. There's no way I could feel any differently towards our life and family that we are forming together. I can be excited about it, but that doesn't change how I _feel_ about it, about you, about the baby. I'm happy; you're happy. That's all that matters."

"But you would prefer marriage over just living together." It was a statement not a question.

"Yeah, I would, but, Bones, I would be fine if we never got married."

"Do you remember when I told my cousin, Margaret, that I had never found a reason to get married?"

"Yeah."

"What if I say that I found my reason?"

They stopped dancing and pulled apart so he could assess her body language more clearly.

Didn't she start this conversation off by saying that she still saw no point in such a ceremony?

"I—I" Booth stammered, unable to form words.

"I want our child to have everything Parker never had the chance to have. A mom and dad who are happily married, to each other. Parker would reap the benefits of the stability when he is with us as well. That right there is enough of a reason for me, but the other part is just _you_. You are willing to give up something you've probably always thought you would do. Something that you'd been taught, through your Catholic upbringing and from society, of your gender role, morals and place in society. You were willing to live in sin with me, _for me_, if that meant keeping me in your life. For you to disregard something you believed in so strongly _for me_… I don't want you to resent me for it."

"Never, Bones. I could never resent you. For anything."

"Could we compromise? No big wedding. Just a few witnesses and a J. P."

"Bones, did you just ask me to marry you?"

Of course he should have known she wouldn't answer that question directly.

"I know you, Booth. I knew this would be something you wanted, but I didn't want you to keep wondering and worrying about asking me. I know that after… you know… twice. I just, I wanted to put the outcome in your hands for a change. I can't run or say no if I'm the one asking the question. And I know that's what you are afraid of, and why you probably haven't asked me already."

"Can I be honest?"

"Are you going to say no?" She looked crestfallen.

"What? NO! I just, uh," Booth reached into his pocket and pulled out a velvet box. "I was going to ask you later tonight." He paused. "Do you mind?"

She was silent but shook her head with tears in her eyes as she saw the tiny blue box. Then she muttered, "Alpha male," as he got down on one knee and he shrugged.

Several gasps could be heard around the room as people no longer tried to keep their observation of the couple on the dance floor discrete.

"You wouldn't have me any other way."

"You're right. Only the best for me."

By this time the entire banquet room at the Jeffersonian had gotten still and quiet except for the soft easy jazz still playing. There were murmurs and whispering all around them.

Booth took a deep breath and he gently flipped the lid on the box revealing a simple round modest sized diamond on a shiny platinum band. "Marry me?" It came out as almost a hoarse emotional whisper as tears threatened his eyes.

"I will," she nodded.

He placed the ring on her left hand and then placed a soft kiss over where the ring lay on her finger.

He stood and pulled her into a tearful kiss.

People around them clapped softly and exchanged their glee.

They pulled apart and looked around shyly at their friends as they went back to cake. There would be questions to answer, but right now, it was their moment to just be.

They danced even closer than they had been for a few moments more.

"What do you say we get out of here, Bones?"

"Um, Booth, the baby would like some cake first."

"Right."

Everyone had seemed to sense the need for privacy from the couple. No one had said anything or questioned them until they had taken their seats, with their cake, at the large head table with Jack and Angela and all of their closest colleagues and random wedding party family members.

"Congratulations, Sweetie. I don't know what you guys said out there, but that looked like the most romantic thing I've ever seen," Angela gushed.

"Oh my God, you're pregnant; aren't you?" Cam jokingly asked.

"Who told you?" Brennan gaped at her boss.

"Good one, Bones. She didn't actually _know_ you're pregnant. She was joking."

"Well, I could have assumed she was playing along, but _you_ confirmed it, big guy." Cam said. "Wow! So this is for real. It isn't some joke or something?"

"C'mon, Cam, Bones doesn't play along with anything. You know that."

"Bren!" Angela called out to her friend across the table. "Is this true? Are you pregnant?" She asked with the same twinkle and wonder in her eyes as when Brennan had first told her she'd gotten into bed with Booth.

Angela only had knowledge of that night and was unaware of the budding relationship, so all of this was a surprise, even to her.

"I—yes," she blushed, adorably.

Booth leaned in and kissed her temple reassuringly, telling her silently, _see, the world is not ending, the sky isn't falling, and everything will be okay._

"You guys are so backwards," Jack managed to comment about their relationship.

"But… I'm facing forward," Brennan replied with a frown.

"Tell me about it," Booth replied to Jack. "You saw the proposal I gave, but you didn't hear her ask me first."

"Dude! Seriously?" Sweets finally found his tongue. Then he muttered something about needing to drink less at parties because he was losing his touch and he should have seen this coming. Then he started rambling about how his book may not have been total crap after all.

"Ange, we're sorry to have made such a scene at your reception," Booth apologized.

"Are you kidding me? This is the best wedding gift on the planet! Now let me see the ring, Sweetie!" Angela exclaimed as she pulled Brennan's hand, fork and all across the table. The fork landed with a clatter as Brennan protested that she was eating that. "It's _gorgeous_!"

Brennan blushed when she realized that all of the fuss was over her ring, but she still very much wanted to just get back to her cake. "Yes, Booth has very good taste. Can I have my fork back, please?" She asked as the artist let go of her hand.

.

Booth pulled up outside her apartment and parked the car for her to get out.

"Come up with me?" She asked.

"I would come up with you, but…" He trailed off motioning to the sleeping boy in his backseat.

He had swung by Rebecca's after the reception to go pick his son up for his weekend.

"Right." Her face took on a pout. Then she brightened again after a few moments, "Bring him with you. Stay."

"Bones, I don't think—"

"I know you're thinking that Rebecca wouldn't approve of a sleepover at someone else's house, but I'm not just someone else. I'm not a stranger to Parker. I'm not just a woman you happen to be sleeping with. I'm… going to be your wife. Stay, please."

"Okay." He pulled the car into a more permanent parking space and he carried his sleeping son up the stairs.

Brennan unlocked the door and pushed it open.

"He can have the guestroom. It's a wreck with all of the stuff I've bought to turn it into a nursery, but the bed is still set up in there. Oh! Wait." She seemed to be rethinking the situation. "If he wakes up and sees all of the baby stuff…"

"Yeah. I'll just put him on the couch. Then I can move the stuff from there into your bedroom."

"Okay. That'll be fine."

.

Once Parker had been tucked into their cleaned up guestroom, the newly engaged couple locked the door of the bedroom and tucked themselves into bed and each other.

"I think I'm starting to show." Brennan said as she nuzzled her face into the crook of Booth's neck. "You could kind of see it when I was wearing the dress I was wearing today."

"Show me." Booth breathed into her ear.

She untangled herself and turned on the bedside lamp. She lifted her tank up to just below her breasts and laid back flat. "See?" She pointed to the barely noticeable roundness.

"Maybe a little," he agreed with a smile.

"Well here, feel it. You can definitely feel the firmness." She grabbed his hand in a gesture very similar to how Angela had grabbed her hand earlier in an effort to see her ring. She placed it right over her lower abdomen and pushed around with his finger tips.

"Yeah. I feel it."

He let his hand abandon her stomach and she didn't feel the absence long as he brought his head down to her exposed skin and placed soft, warm kisses all around.

She hadn't even noticed him remove her panties as he showed his affection for her and the life they created together. And she barely registered that he'd raised her shirt up as his face made its way up to just under her breasts, lightly teasing the skin and then finally inching up higher up one of her soft mounds of tissue. But when he went to lift the tank off of her, she stopped him.

"Booth, Parker is here. We shouldn't…"

"Parker is asleep. I can be quiet. Can you?"

"Not usually," she said in honesty.

And didn't he know that as a fact! She was a very vocal lover, but even more so now that she had pregnancy hormones flooding her system, causing a higher degree of sensitivity to all sexual stimuli.

"It's time to practice, or we'll never get to be intimate after the baby is born."

.

Later after they laid together in the afterglow of their coupling, he bit her earlobe lightly and exhaled his love for her in her ear, "I love you, Bones. So, so much," as he nuzzled his nose to the side of her face and into her hair.

"I… reciprocate the affection. Very much."

"Squint," he rolled his eyes, but grinned into her neck nonetheless. "I understand if you cannot fully tell me with the actual words yet. I know how you feel about me."

"Cocky," it was her turn to roll her eyes, then she showed him her gratitude, "Thank you… for understanding. It's not that I don't; trust me. I just… it's hard to expose myself that much."

"I know, baby; I know."

"I'll take your last name if you never call me baby again."

"You will?"

"Of course. Well, I was going to anyway because I want all of us to share the same surname as part of the stability that I want for our child and Parker, but if it'll also keep you from calling me baby…victory, victory."

"_Win, win_, is what you mean, and… deal."

* * *

><p><strong>The smutty version of this one has two-parts. 1. J&amp;A's wedding cake 2. B&amp;B's wedding cake. I am not sure, that I'll be able to pull off a "T" version of the second one, but I'll try. If I can get it worked out, I will post it as the second chapter here. <strong>

**XOXO,**  
><strong>CrayonClown<strong>


	2. Wedding Cake 2

Wedding Cake 2

It had been placed on the counter of the shiny clean kitchen of their home to thaw for their first wedding anniversary.

Mrs. Booth thought it was a ridiculous notion, but sentimental traditionalist, Mr. Booth, deemed it necessary along with showering her with all kinds of other romantic gestures throughout the day while their little girl was with Jack and Angela for a sleepover play date with their son, Michael.

Their first wedding anniversary.

Just two short years ago, neither of them thought they would ever make it this far.

Booth was with Hannah, and he was sure that she was the easiest option for him. She was easy to love, easy to live with, and she wanted him. Best of all she was easy to understand. He didn't have to figure her out.

And Brennan.

Well, Brennan was exactly as she always imagined she would be, alone.

Even when they'd burned the dates on the pieces of paper after the huge breakup, they never would have thought they would end up like this. Together, sure. That's what they had both _finally_ admitted that night, that they wanted the same thing at the same time for the first time.

They never imagined they would be married.

Well, Booth had always imagined he would get married, but he'd let go of that vision the night that Hannah turned him down. He'd only gotten it back, resulting from his Catholic morals after discovering that he was once again fathering a child out of wedlock. This bothered him, but he was willing to forego marriage for Bones. He was going to ask, and if she said no, then that was that and they'd pick up as they were. She'd surprised him by asking him in a non-direct way before he even had a chance to.

They never imagined they would _actually_ have a ten month old daughter, _together_.

After their fleeting decisions to have and not have a baby together by artificial insemination, neither of them had brought the subject up again.

They had both thought about it and fantasized about what it would be like, but they were both afraid to bring it back up because they thought the other had completely changed their mind and they both secretly hoped that it would happen the right way.

Two years ago, they would have balked at the idea.

As fate, which didn't seem so ludicrous anymore, would have it, it did happen the right way.

A night of grief, comfort, and love brought them together in the most intimate way, emotionally and physically. News of the conception of their child sealed the deal for them. It brought them together and cemented everything between them.

Seven months into the pregnancy they got married so that when the baby arrived, the parents would be bound together in the eyes of the law—and in Booth's case, God. It also helped establish Booth's parental rights more solidly than when Rebecca had Parker.

Booth had made sure to pull out all the stops for them this night of their first anniversary.

Over the last sixteen months of living together, Brennan had discovered that Booth was an excellent cook. He cooked most of the meals they ate in, and this night was no different. He made her favorite dish, chicken seitan parmesan (and real chicken for himself, thank you very much) with roasted red potatoes and steamed broccoli.

He had set the table with a white tablecloth and tall romantic candles, which his wife did admit was very nice.

The cake had finally thawed completely after their romantic dinner for two in their formal dining room.

Brennan stood to get it, but was stopped, before she could take a step.

"I'll get it," Booth rose and quickly walked into the kitchen, bringing back two small ceramic plates, a couple of their best silver forks and the plate with the top tier from their wedding cake into the dining room. He placed the cake in front of Brennan and set down the plates next to it.

"Want to cut it together?"

"Sure," she said softly.

She stood up next to him with her back into his chest, with the knife in her hand and his hand over hers as they sliced the cake and put a piece on each of their plates.

Booth picked his plate up and turned to walk around to his seat at the table.

"Wait," she smiled at him as she put a small piece on her fork and held it out to him.

He grinned and accepted the bite and then offered her a piece.

She looked at him with narrowed eyes, and cautiously accepted the bite.

"Thank you for not smearing it on my face this time."

They shared a quick kiss before Booth put his plate down at his place and poured more champagne for the both of them.

"This is a very good champagne. What is it?"

"Dom Parignon 1966."

"This tastes and _sounds_ expensive."

"Oh yeah. Very."

"How much?"

"I have no idea; I didn't ask."

"What? As tight with money as you are, you didn't ask when you bought this?"

"I didn't buy it. It was a gift from Hodgins."

"Oh really?"

"Really."

"Well did he say anything about it? He must have if you knew it was very expensive, but didn't know the cost."

"He only said that it was on the list of top ten most expensive bottles of wine."

"And you were okay with that?"

"If it came from anyone else, no. But from Hodgins? He's got more money than Bill Gates and Oprah combined. I think he can spare a little for some good champagne for special occasions every once in a while. Besides, it puts some his wealth back out into the economy."

"Still, I'm curious as to how much."

"We can Google it." Booth took his phone out and did a search.

"Holy Jesus! Bones! It's almost two _thousand_ dollars per bottle!"

"That is impressive."

Booth was still standing over by his wife as he did the search. He picked his glass up off of the table and moved to go back to his cake, and she stopped him once more.

"Booth, can we… do that thing where we hook arms and drink?"

"Sure, Bones. Look at you, being all romantic!" He said with an almost Cheshire grin.

She once again joined him standing and they hooked their arms together and took a sip of champagne from their own glasses. Booth managed to spill a little on Brennan's arm and used his mouth to sensually clean it off. He made the gesture more desirable and suave by trailing kisses up her bare arm, across her collarbone and up the column of her neck. He ended at her mouth where he kissed her until she pulled away with desire to finish her cake.

In one smooth move, Booth set his glass down on the table, lifted Brennan slightly and sat in her chair with her on his lap as she giggled and tried to keep her champagne glass upright. Booth took her fork and offered her another small piece of cake. She ate it and then he took a bite of her cake.

She protested, but he assured her that they would share his piece of the cake as well, not to mention they still had about two-thirds of the round top tier left.

They alternated taking bites until her piece was gone, and then she reached across the table and caught the lip of Booth's plate with her fork and drug it across to take turns eating from it as well.

Once they had their fill of cake and champagne, they danced, which led to making out, which led to Brennan removing Booth tie and belt and other clothes flying in all directions and stumbling around as they searched to gain purchase on some sort of surface to brace themselves against.

Gone were the tender moments and romantic gestures, and present were the raging hormones and lust fueled by anticipation of having this night to themselves to celebrate _them_.

.

After not making it entirely to the bedroom Booth and Brennan lay spent in the hallway as they tried to regain some control over their own bodies.

After they had finally regained the ability to think, they tried to get up and go to bed, only to find that they couldn't move.

They laughed and Booth joked that he was getting too old for this frantic teenager stuff against walls after which Brennan replied that he should reconsider doing Pilates or Yoga with her as it would be beneficial for his stamina and over flexibility and limberness.

When they could finally move, nearly a half hour later, Booth carried his wife to bed before checking to make sure the doors were locked and everything was put away in the dining room and kitchen.

He headed into their room to find her asleep on top of the covers where he'd left her after redressing her in one of his old t-shirts.

He walked over to her side of the bed with a smirk and he gently lifted her legs and pulled the covers out from underneath her and brought them up around her body. He ran his fingers through her hair lovingly as he brushed it out of her face. He got in bed and shut off the lamp before pulling the covers up around him as well as he tucked her body into his.

He kissed her cheek and gave one last smile as he looked on with amazement at her beautiful face in the moonlight shining in from the window before falling soundly asleep.

* * *

><p><strong><strong>I think most of you were probably expecting to see their wedding day, but I figured, let's take it further than that. Let's make this another milestone for them. So that's why I chose to do the one year anniversary thing rather than the wedding. <strong>**

**A lot of the impact of this one is lost with the smutty section taken out. If smut is something you don't mind reading or reading around as metaphors are interspersed throughout, then I would recommend reading the M version of this. It can be found as Chapter 6 of "Smutty Side Dishes".**

**If you happen to read both, could you let me know if you feel anything is really truly lost with the exclusion of the smutty section? As the author, I feel there is, but as a reader you may feel differently.  
><strong>

**XOXO,**  
><strong>CrayonClown<strong>


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